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The Philadelphia 76ers superstar Joel Embiid made his comeback in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Boston Celtics, but his return was not enough to secure a victory. The Sixers were soundly beaten 121-87, with Embiid contributing just 15 points in 27 minutes of play.
Shannon Sharpe, a former NFL player turned sports commentator, had some choice words for Embiid, questioning why was he even allowed to play in Game 2. Embiid was not available for Game 1 of this series due to his knee injury, and many felt he should have taken more time to recover.
Why Shannon Sharpe says Joel Embiid should've rested for Game 2
Although Joel Embiid's return was certainly welcomed by the Sixers, he did not appear to be his usual dominant self. He was not much of a factor on the boards or the defensive end, and his performance was lackluster overall. He wore a massive knee brace under his uniform, which was visibly restricting his movements on the hardwood.
This lack of effectiveness could be attributed to his time away from the game, or it could be a sign that his injury is still impacting his play. Shannon Sharpe is no stranger to speaking his mind on all things sports-related, and the issue of Joel Embiid's Game 2 appearance was no exception.
"The thing is that Joel wanted to test the knee. I mean he's going to go out there let see what I can do. I don't think he moved badly, Skip. If you look here at five blocked shots in the first half, he was, I mean he was challenging stuff at the rim on a bum leg.
"I don't know why you're risking it. Embiid is the MVP and you want him to stay healthy. It's only so many times they can go into that knee.
"You see how quickly Jayson Tatum crossed him over, went to his left hand, and beat a race that Jaylen Brown tried to flush on him. He's like, no, not today."
"So I thought he moved fairly well, Skip. He only took nine shots. Is he the same Joel Embiid? No, obviously not. He has that knee brace on, knee brace on, and he knows he can't move as freely. He's restricted. He can't do some of the things that he normally would do. I agree. I believe, like, I'm going to let Joel take another day off."
The Sixers' blowout loss was not solely due to Joel Embiid's performance, as the team as a whole struggled against a tough Celtics squad. However, his underwhelming performance raises questions about the decision to bring him back so soon.
With the series now tied at 1-1, it remains to be seen how Joel Embiid will perform in the rest of the series. The Sixers will need him to return to his MVP-caliber form if they hope to advance to the Conference finals.
